


It's My Birthday

by GlynnisIsta8



Category: Captain America, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fake it til you Make it ;), Happy Birthday, Helpful Darcy, Post CACW, Public Displays of Affection Make People Uncomfortable, Shared Birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 14:42:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11404572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlynnisIsta8/pseuds/GlynnisIsta8
Summary: Steve Rogers meets Darcy Lewis at a tavern in Greenwich, England. (post CACW)  It's somebody's birthday, July 4.





	It's My Birthday

Though the crowd swelled early, the tavern air stilled as the cool night waned. People huddled together in small clusters, talking in more and more hushed tones- save for the few people who’d imbibed too much.  

Darcy, alone, swirled the remains of her too-warm ale and took a small, bitter sip.  She hadn’t really wanted to drink ale so much as not to be alone with her thoughts.  She didn’t regret breaking things off with Ian at all, but every now and then ‘ _alone_ ’ crossed the line to ‘ _lonely_ ’. She missed her parents and old friends more at holidays and special days and found the bustle of strangers gave slight comfort.  She ran a finger through warming condensation on the old wood of the bar.  The punchline of a joke across the room put a slight smile on her face.

One of the men further down the bar finished his drink and stood, stretching, “Well, unlike you, I need sleep.  Hard to stay this handsome without it.”  

Darcy looked at him and ranked him as a stunner. The African American man had a gorgeous grin, as attractive to Darcy as his muscled forearms.  Darcy speculated to herself that he must sleep _a lot,_ if that was what he attributed his looks to.  Dude was fit.

As he  tossed cash down on the bar in front of his friend, he looked around carefully.  “I got this. It’s almost the 4th.  Happy Birthday, Man.  G’night.”

Darcy turned her eyes to the seated man, an even more stunning, scruff-faced guy who offered a wry grin and a tip of his glass to his departing friend. 

“NIght, Sam.  Thanks.”  His accent was American, with a hint of Brooklyn.

The floor boards squeaked as the first man strode past.  He winked at Darcy, grinning as he noticed her ogling him and then his friend. She ducked her head.  Darcy cut another glance at the seated man.  Handsome.  His leather jacket creaked as he lifted his mug to full, sensuous lips.  He had nice hands, strong and capable looking. She nibbled at one of her own lips as naughty fantasies flitted across her mind’s eye.

After the bell on the door quieted, Darcy shifted down and turned towards the handsome stranger.  “Is today your birthday?”  Her face burned as her impetuous actions caught up with her. She held her breath, waiting to see if he would welcome her query or not.

He looked at her in a friendly manner, shook his head, and kept his voice low.  “Nope. It’s not quite midnight yet. Tomorrow.”  He shifted on his stool, averting his handsome face, cautious.

Darcy giggled, “Born on the 4th of July?  Who are you?  Yankee Doodle? Captain America?”  She felt anxiety charge the air between them as he tensed.  His blue eyes went wide for a second before he shook his head unconvincingly.  Darcy sucked in a quick breath.  “Wait. What? Get out!”  She studied his face carefully and nodded, recognizing the truth of her random guess.  “Oops.  You’re pretty nice looking for the world’s most wanted man.” 

His eyes crinkled for a second as rueful amusement showed clearly. “Please, don’t tell anyone…”

She snorted, “I don’t think the crime of wanting to help people and save the world is all that bad, Birthday Boy.”  She liked the half smile she’d put on his face.  The desire to see a full smile and hear him laugh put a twinkle in her eye.  _Goals._

The bell rang again as the door to the tavern squeaked open. A pair of policemen entered.  The elder looked exhausted and bored.  The younger officer approached a drunk at a table close to the door and tried to rouse him.

Scruffy-faced Captain America tensed and seemed ready to jump out the window.

Darcy touched the Captain’s muscled arm and slid her hand down to his.  “Hey!  I’m friends with Thor. He said you’re good people. I’m Darcy. I’m renting a room here, up the back stairs and easy to reach.  Need a place to hide? We can pretend we’re getting lucky.”  She hazarded another glance at the officers.  “Unless you prefer to reenact a scene where an American violently throws off British authority. I guess I get that. I mean…”

His gaze shifted quickly from the danger to her.  He sized her up quickly.  “You know Thor? And, you trust me?”  He grasped her hand in his and gave hers a squeeze  His hand was calloused and warm.

Butterflies fluttered to life in her belly. Darcy nodded as she stepped closer.  “Sure.” He stood still as she kissed his cheek and then wiped off the mark she left.  “That’s to build up to us leaving together and make it more believable.  Hope you don’t mind.”  He shook his head, gaze intent.  She shrugged.”I was sort of driving the car that hit Thor when he first landed in New Mexico.  I had just started as Jane Foster’s intern. And I was with them when the Dark Elves showed up here, too.”  Darcy pulled him along after her, heart pounding rapidly as he leaned closer and pulled her hair back so he could kiss her neck in a seductive way that sent tingles everywhere.  She’d never done what this looked like, dragged a man to her bed.  She suppressed a squeak as he stopped and pulled her against him.  She committed the feel of his body to memory.  A NICE memory to treasure.

“Call me Steve, please?  And, are you sure about this?  It’s awfully nice of you to want to help, but I’d hate to bring you trouble. And, I don’t mean to be inappropriate.”  He took a deep breath.  “Public displays of affection make people uncomfortable.”

Darcy nodded.  “Yup. Kiss me, Steve.”

He cupped one hand along the side of her face as their lips met.

Mae, the bartender, let out a low whistle, “Nice, Darce.  Nice.”

It was far more than nice. It was difficult to split her attention between acknowledging Mae, keeping an eye out for the Bobbies, and managing her response to Steve’s kiss. Darcy tried and failed to repress excited shaking.

Steve squeezed her hand again.  “Don’t be scared.”

A rueful laugh escaped.  “I’m not.”  She felt almost shy. His brow went up in surprise as he noted her blown pupils and she continued trembling. They made it to the hallway.  “Yes!  We’re almost there.”  She fumbled for her key and opened the door to the old staircase.  Creeping up the stairs ahead of him, Darcy hoped for the best.  It was quiet, save for the creaking of the old boards and their breathing.

Finally, they reached the safety of her room.  Darcy kicked off her shoes inside the doorway and hung her scarf on a peg.

Steve’s brow furrowed as he picked up a birthday card from the hall table just inside the door.  “Is today your birthday?”

As the clock struck twelve and the church bell down the road let out a single ring, Darcy’s phone began to play the song ‘ _Birthday_ ’ by The Beatles.  She turned it off, stood back from Steve, and shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.  “It is, now.”

They both listened for sounds outside the room.  All was quiet.

He grinned teasingly, “4th of July?  Who are you, Yankee Doodle?”

Darcy laughed, “yep.  You caught me.”  She looked up at him, teetering between shyness and boldness.  She took a step closer to him and let her hands fall to her sides.

He looked down, “oops.”  Steve crossed the room and peered out the window.  “I think it may be safe now.  I don’t see flashing lights or hear commotion.”  His words held more than a hint of regret.

Darcy moved to his side.  “Oh.  Well…”  She took a deep breath and blurted with mock seriousness, “or, it could be a trick to lure you out.  You might be safer staying here a while.”  

He side-eyed her. “Yeah?” He shifted closer.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

He smirked slightly, teasing, “What are your thoughts on _private_  displays of affection?”

Darcy nodded, breathless.  “I’m in favor of them.  You?”

His hand brushed against hers again.  “I’m a fan.”  He cleared his throat.  “I’ve been critiqued, told I need to practice kissing more.  Sorry if…”

Darcy nearly choked on her laughter.  “Are you kidding me?  That was the best kiss I’ve ever had.  Maybe you’ve been kissing the wrong women.”  She was rewarded with the kind of full smile she’d hoped to see from him, blindingly pure and attractive.  

Her heart pounded faster as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it lingeringly before letting it fall again to her side. “Maybe you’re right.  It was the best kiss I’ve ever had, too.”

Darcy’s eyes lit up.  “So, Birthday Boy… Happy Birthday, by the way.”

“Happy Birthday to you, too,” Steve whispered.  He finally turned from the window and faced her.  “I don’t even know your last name.”

“Lewis.”

He nodded.  “Rogers”  He held out a hand and they shook awkwardly. As their eyes met each saw longing in the face of the other.  He licked his lips.  “May I kiss you again?”

She nodded as she stood on tiptoe.  “You may.”  They were a tangle of eager lips and hands then, happy that the pleasure they found in each other’s kisses was not a one-time thing.  As they paused for breath, she admitted, “never invited a man to my room before.  I don’t really know how to do this.”

He leaned his forehead down against hers.  “Well, I’ve never had much of a clue when it came to dames or romance.”

They stared at each other, both teetering on the razor’s edge of indecision.  Then, he kissed her again and both sighed at the same time, “it’s my birthday.”  They laughed and kissed again.  

Darcy pulled him with her as they fell to her bed and resumed kissing.

**fin**

**Author's Note:**

> ShieldShock shared birthday fic. On Tumblr, @shieldshockfanfic. 
> 
> http://shieldshockfanfic.tumblr.com/post/162603538975/its-my-birthday-though-the-crowd-swelled-early


End file.
